Valve mechanism



March 24, 1953 H. R. GAMBLE 2,632,621

VALVE MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23, 1950 nil.

J TIE-5- 1'1 7 I 3nv entor: Eqzzmw 2. FAME/L3.

7 Bu l p attorneg Patented Mar. 24, 1953 smrgs PATENT o r les "Harold R. (Bramble, Toledo, Ohio, assignor 450 The :De VilbissGompany, Toledo,-hio, aeorpom tion of Ohio Appl eations pt mbe 23, 9, 11, .se ial'No-ilhfififi 5 "Glaims.

My invention re ates to ralre m cha s Patt a y .adan edw wi h "compress rs- .sueh ihec'hanisms th valve i usual m ed i pm i s s at hy-eir pressure r urned t t eat yshrihs t nsion object of this invention is the 'provision'oi a ret re m chanism whi h the s r ng 'iheah ha e m n m mam uht. f'iiexure A other e i iisllthe ovision sp hs mean hieh o at s with an mproved u hio ing e feet up .h mo ement cfithe yalveh 'iu t er biect prov sion o -a va sprin which wi l wi hstand ions usage witheh failurer vAh add tional ab e t is va e S r ng h eh flexes with ttle s id ng t ni ht w h the va aiidhther ad acent a s- "These and other sheet are atta ed th eu h the u e of the nove valv spri "design a arran em n d sqribed erein and idhe q ed i the acc mpanying draw ng in w ich- .Eighrei is a een ral'verti a seet eh oi alv mech nism em edy my in en ion;

I2 is a. pl n new the eof;

figure Er s .a plan v ew o "the sprin re ain r;

.I'Jsnr 4 a s de el vation a lhq tiqh t "away -01 the same e ement;

liiiguret a plan view and'a side elevation of the valve spring; and

Figure 6 is .agalan viewtot the-flat J-ring valve.

gtteferring to the drawings in more detail, in Figure 1 is illustrated the valve mechanism'in assembled relation and mounted -'in a cylinder wall, the :broken away portions of which are indicated at l and 2. The valve body 3 has an annular series of ports 4. On either side of the lowerlends of the series of ports are annular ids sit providing the ciosune seat for ring va v 5- "The. latte i held a nst thes hi1 sphal l te springs ih se a e med jh qm s i nings o Swedish ,nring"stee h et QIO" :inath ek ess. The sprin s a e bowe dnreie ably usedin couples with their concave sides in opposing relation as shown in Figure 1. They mayiaiso b f v ly utiliaedin rev :elat ve ipositien with their names asides ether; o may be employed singly. A spring retainer 8 is secured to the valve body 3 by bolt 9 and nut It.

By the protrusion of ears II from the inner periphery of the springs 1 into the complementary grooves l2 on the spring retainer 8 the springs are held against any rotary movement and to a definite axial path. This is essential when the springs are used in couples as they must be positioned with their bowed dimensions best shown in "Figure 5. The center :portions of their ponvex sides, -ad-jacent -ears M, ibear ap..- positely against the valve ring t and the surface of the flange 1-4 on'the spring retainer-1B. the ring valve -6 opens under the torceiof air pres: sure the springs I flatten-out, with the flexin action distributed uniformly along the bowed dimension. This uniformity is particularly x1e: sirable as it avoids -concentrated fiexingsand tun: due stress in any given area which is the-ire: guent cause of spring failure;

The valve spring is-consideredsimilar in stress load-to a beam supported at-bothends andhave ing a load at its center. Accordingly thelmoment diagram of the valve spring between edges 13 would comprise a downwardly facing isosceles angle, indicating a peak load at thecenter decline ing at an'even rate --toward both ends. nrPlate springs I are designed to proportionally resist this lead distributionthrough a major part of their-extent and thus to --even out the resulting iiexure. This is accomplished by mar-rowing the width of "the arms 15 as they extend from the pen er of "the spring-towardtheedges 1:3.

st lhis also est blish pa ti ularly high resistance to i exure n the e end a eas- 'r ii i e -ei these sp ihspertiq f'is a ee d hshet d as durin the estrememveaiehtef zth va e- Thi fina heh entratesire istanee hsh es iehshi n n action when mostneeded to prevent too-destruetive an impact between the valve and the spring means when the valve is stopped at its full open position.

The ability of the valve springs of this invention to withstand long usage without breakage is most evident when they are arranged as illustrated in Figure 1. As so positioned each spring needs to flex an amount to provide space for only one half of the valve opening movement. Upon compression of the springs and as they flatten out there is no sliding contact between parts. This is due to the fact that the opposed surfaces on the valve and the valve spring retainer receive the spring thrust originally only throughcontact with the high center portion of the bowed sections and subsequently and successively through the balance of the spring surface as the spring straightens out.

Accordingly the longitudinal movement of the springs under compression is in the spring portions without contact with other surfaces except where the edges of the springs rest against each other. As these edges move longitudinally together no significant relative movement occurs. These combined characteristics of the valve spring structure result in a great improvement in wearing ability, well proven by commercial practice. Where serious breakdowns had been previously experienced with springs of. a more conventional nature, all such trouble has since been avoided wigr the substitution of the subject spring means.

This spring design is also capable of superior performance when used in couples with the convex sides facing each other. The advantages of the superior cushioning action secured from the compressing into a final flat form, the division of required flexing action between the springs, and avoidance of wear from contacting movement are all present in this alternate arrangement. While the benefits are not fully secured when a single spring is employed, improved action attends the use of a lone spring in connection particularly with air compressors of moderate capacity.

While I have described a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is a preferred form presented for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In a valve mechanism for an air compressor a ported valve seat member, a valve and spring retainer element, said element including a guiding post section and a lateral flange portion, means for holding the member and element together with the top of the post section against the member and the flange defining with the member an annular valve and valve spring chamber around the post section, a flat annular valve in the chamber, a generally flat annular'spring in the chamber compressed between the valve and the flange and normally holding the valve against the seat member, said spring having an outer periphery of octagonal contour and an of guiding ears extending toward each other from opposite sides of the inner periphery across the center of the bowed dimension and into 4 complementary grooves in the guiding post section of the retaining element whereby the spring is held against rotary movement.

2. In a valve mechanism as set forth in claim 1 a second flat annular spring bowed in the same dimension as the first spring, the concave sides of the springs facing each other, and the springs contacting each other along the straight parallel edges at the ends of their bowed dimensions.

3. A valve mechanism for an air compressor of the type having a reciprocable valve and a seat therefor, characterized by a valve spring of generally flat annular form uniformly bowed transversely with straight parallel edges on the opposite ends of the bowed dimension, said valve spring having a center opening forming, with the outer spring contour, arms converging from the mid-section of the spring toward the parallel edges, said arms having a tapering width toward said edges.

4. A valve mechanism for an air compressor of the type having a reciprocable valve and a seat therefor, characterized by a pair of valve springs of generally flat annular form uniformly bowed throughout an entire transverse dimension with straight parallel edges on the opposite ends of the bowed dimension, said valve springs being one above the other with oppositely bowed surfaces adjacent, and guiding means retaining the springs in a relative position in which their bowed dimensions extend in the same direction and the straight edges of each spring are parallel with the straight edges of the other spring, contact of the guiding means with each spring being restricted to points spaced across the center of the bowed dimension of the spring.

5. A valve mechanism for an air compressor of the type having a reciprocable valve and a seat therefor, characterized by a pair of valve springs of generally flat annular form uniformly bowed throughout an entire transverse dimension with straight parallel edges on the opposite ends of the bowed dimension, said springs being bowedin the same dimension, the concave sides of the springs facing each other, and the springs contacting each other along the'straight parallel edges at the ends of their bowed dimensions.

HAROLD R. GAMBLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany of 1929 

